Walking into St. Martin's Church in Birmingham City Centre recently, one saw an exhibition of portrait photography by Nicola Dove titled, 'Observance' on one side of the nave and an exhibition of western calligraphy on the other.

The long exposure portraits, each approximately 3.5 feet by 2.5 feet in size, taken with black background, show almost solemn faces. Each expression seems to signify lost hope and despair. The captions give the name and religion of each of the subjects making the viewer ponder whether the despair is over the role of religions in the world or portrays anguish over certain acts that are committed in the name of religion.

The calligraphy exhibition by the Birmingham Calligraphy Society was a composite of various styles and types of texts.

St. Martin's, like many other churches in the United Kingdom, regularly holds art exhibitions and workshops. With several artists in the congregation and two of the churches' curates who were artists, the idea of holding art exhibitions in this functional church came in 1997 and was pioneered by the then Rector of the Church, Adrian Newman, himself. Three years later, the church took on a part-time ordained priest as 'Arts coordinator' and art activities were brought into full swing.

In 2003, a full-time arts coordinator, Cheryl Homer, was hired and St. Martin's Arts became a registered charity.

“We are called Saint Martin's Arts and were set up by the Church but are a separate charity,” explains Homer.

The charity, which is 'committed to enriching human experience and spirituality through the arts' has exhibition programmes on throughout the year, showcasing a variety of works—from professional and amateur artists, community groups and charities. The artwork ranges from painting, sculpture, collage, photography, textiles and whatnot and each exhibition is held for between four and six weeks.

While churches have showcased art since time immemorial—in the form of devotional and structural art such as stain glass windows, statues, frescos and wall art—functional churches being used as gallery space for modern art is a rather new development. And one that brings to mind several queries. Who decides to open up a particular church to art and artists is probably everyone's first. According to the secretaries of various churches around the UK, it is primarily the decision of the clergy of that particular church and also largely depends on its size and availability of space.

While some churches like St. Martin's are open to exhibitions regularly, others only occasionally due to one or more limitations. “The nature of this building is such that we don't have much space to have exhibitions, but we do have art workshops. “I am open to the idea of art exhibitions though because I am a follower or arts and a photographer and jewellery-maker myself,” says Reverend Mary Gilbert at St. Paul's Church, Birmingham.

Some churches like St. Martin's, Edinburgh hold seasonal or annual exhibitions, in an attempt to encourage local arts and crafts. Its 2008 annual exhibition drew 150 works of art by 35 artists, ranging from photography, painting, glasswork, woodwork, knitting, quilting and upholstering.

So what kind of art can be exhibited in a church? “In St. Martin's we're open to all types of art work. We haven't really had any work showing nudity, though we did have an exhibition of photographs of dancers wearing skimpy clothes. If something very graphic did come along we'd have to make a decision based on the work in question,” says Homer.

According to Mary, the afternoon receptionist at St. Chad's Cathedral in Birmingham, “If an exhibition was proposed to us we surely would give it a thought, though the final decision would rest with the Canon. Moreover, for us the artwork would probably have to have a Christian theme.” She adds, “Last autumn we had an exhibition of giant posters of the Shroud of Turin (believed to be the cloth placed on the body of Jesus Christ at the time of his burial) but haven't had anything else since then.”

How does the public respond to having art shows in their church? “The response is very good,” says Homer, “We do have the occasional objections though; some people say that the exhibitions promote commercialism and some object if the nature of art being shown is multi-faith, as in the work by Nicola Dove.”

So how does the cost of exhibiting and the commission charged pan out? Both St. Martin's Arts, Birmingham and St. Martin's Church in Edinburgh charge 20 per cent commission on the sales they make, “though we don't sell a lot because most people who come into the church don't have money to buy art,” explains Homer.

On a no-profit basis, a six-week exhibition costs St. Martin Arts £760. However, being aware of the financial strains artists usually face, it does not make it mandatory for them to cover these costs and insists that this does not prejudice the artist's ability to exhibit with St. Martin's Arts.

Given that churches may not have the appropriate wall space, lighting and display acumen, they can still play a valuable role in promoting art and encourage community building. “We like work that 'educates' the public and makes them think. We like things which allow people to see another section of their own community of Birmingham and interact with artists and fellow visitors,” says Homer.